2027 Guide · East Midlands
Study in Nottingham,then pick the campus.
Nottingham is a compact, student-friendly city in the East Midlands. The University of Nottingham is a top-100 Russell Group university. Nottingham Trent is known for practical, industry-focused courses.
Students are a large share of the population, rent is lower than in most big UK cities, and QS rates the city well for affordability and student mix. The two universities use several sites, so the campus still decides the commute.
England, United Kingdom
Nottingham
Nottingham Study — Quick Facts
- QS Best Student Cities
- #4848th worldwide in 2027, and 7th among UK cities.
- University of Nottingham
- =97Joint 97th in the QS World University Rankings 2027. NTU is 639th.
- Average room
- £584SpareRoom Q2 2026. One of the lowest averages among the big UK student cities.
- Visa maintenance / month
- £1,171Outside London, up to 9 months, maximum £10,539. From 30 November 2026: £1,203, maximum £10,827.
- Term-time work
- 20 hrsUsual limit for eligible full-time degree-level Student visa holders. Full-time work is generally allowed in official vacations.
- Graduate visa from 2027
- 18 moBachelor's and master's graduates who apply on or after 1 January 2027. PhD graduates stay at 3 years.
Source: QS Best Student Cities 2027 and QS World University Rankings 2027, including the NTU profile at rank 639. SpareRoom Q2 2026. GOV.UK, including HC 584. Checked 3 October 2026.
Why students choose it
Two large universities, one affordable city
Two very different large universities
Research-intensive on one side, placements on the other.
The University of Nottingham offers a Russell Group education on a traditional campus. NTU offers applied, professional and placement-focused courses, many of them in the city centre.
A large student community
More than 75,000 students across the two universities.
Invest in Nottingham's figure supports a big market for housing, societies, entertainment and services.
Affordable for a major city
About £584 a month, well below Manchester, Bristol and London.
QS also highlights Nottingham's relatively favourable rent and living costs. Lower is not the same as cheap once halls and travel are added.
A varied economy
Boots is headquartered here. Experian is here.
Strengths include financial and business services, life sciences and healthcare, creative and digital industries, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and food and drink.
Compact, with a free hopper
Buses and trams link the University of Nottingham's campuses.
The city centre, NTU City Campus and the main shopping areas sit close together. Clifton and Brackenhurst are a different journey.
Central England
London is about 1 hour 45 minutes by train.
Birmingham, Sheffield, Leicester and East Midlands Airport are all close, which matters if the graduate search spreads beyond the city.
Source: Invest in Nottingham: student population and key sectors.
QS World University Rankings 2027
In Nottingham, and under an hour away
- QS=97
University of Nottingham
In Nottingham
University Park, Jubilee, Queen's Medical Centre, Sutton Bonington
Medicine, pharmacy, veterinary science, engineering, computer science, business, economics, law.
- QS639
Nottingham Trent University
In Nottingham
City Campus, Clifton, Brackenhurst
Business, accounting, computing, cyber security, engineering, architecture, law, fashion, art and design.
- QS=68
University of Birmingham
Within reach
Birmingham, about 1 hour 15 minutes by train
Engineering, computer science, medicine, business.
- QS=82
University of Sheffield
Within reach
Sheffield, about 50–60 minutes by train
Engineering, computing, sciences, architecture.
- QS203
Loughborough University
Within reach
Loughborough, about 15–20 minutes by train
Engineering, sport, business, design.
- QS=314
University of Leicester
Within reach
Leicester, about 30 minutes by train
Medicine, law, business, space science.
De Montfort University and University of Derby
Modern universities
Leicester and Derby, about 20–30 minutes by train
Applied business, computing, engineering, health and creative courses.
Before applying: “=” means a shared position. Travel times are approximate fastest trains and vary by service. Compare the course, accreditation, fees and placements, not the rank alone.
Source: QS World University Rankings 2027. NTU profile, QS 2027 rank 639.
What students come for
Popular courses in Nottingham
Important: Check professional accreditation where it matters, especially for engineering, architecture, psychology, nursing, medicine, law and accounting.
- Business, finance, accounting and FinTech
- Computer science, AI, data science and cyber security
- Engineering and advanced manufacturing
- Medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biomedical science and life sciences
- Veterinary medicine and agriculture
- Law and criminology
- Psychology
- Architecture, construction and the built environment
- Fashion, art, design, journalism and media
- Sport science and management
A medium-sized market
Finance, health, data and engineering
Nottingham is strong in financial and business services, life sciences, creative and digital industries, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and food and drink, with growing FinTech, MedTech and software.
Financial and business services
Banking, credit and data services, accounting, insurance and FinTech.
Life sciences and healthcare
Pharmaceuticals, health retail, MedTech, NHS hospitals and clinical research.
Creative and digital
Software, games, media, design and data.
Advanced manufacturing
Transport engineering, precision manufacturing and engineering services.
Logistics and distribution
East Midlands distribution hubs, supply chains and operations.
Retail, hospitality and food
City-centre retail, restaurants and events. A common source of part-time work.
Source: Invest in Nottingham.
One of the more affordable big cities
About £584 for a private room
Nottingham City Council's 2026/27 review shows student-accommodation rents ranging from a little over £100 to above £300 a week. University of Nottingham students often live near University Park, Jubilee, Lenton and Dunkirk. NTU City Campus students often prefer the city centre or Arboretum. Clifton and Brackenhurst need a different plan.
- Planning range
Private room
£584
a month, city average
SpareRoom Q2 2026.
NTU shared rooms
£99–£121
a week
The Maltings, NTU 2026/27 examples.
NTU en-suite
£162–£179
a week
Sandby, City Campus, NTU 2026/27 examples.
Broadgate Park
£175–£235
a week
University of Nottingham, standard to large en-suite, 2026/27. Studios cost more.
Add the contract and the bus: Compare rent, bills, contract length, transport and distance to the campus you will actually attend. Premium private rooms and studios run £250–£300 or more a week. These are planning guides. Verify the landlord and the tenancy, and never pay from a social-media listing alone.
Source: SpareRoom Q2 2026. Nottingham City Council 2026/27 student accommodation review. NTU and University of Nottingham 2026/27 prices.
Buses, trams, one free hopper
A £349 academic-year pass
NCT University Academic Year Pass. £349 for unlimited City Zone travel from 1 September 2026 to 31 July 2027. Worth it if you travel most days.
Student fares in the app. About £2.50 for a single and £4.70 for 24 hours in the City Zone, with student verification.
The hopper is free. The University of Nottingham bus connects University Park, Jubilee Campus and Sutton Bonington routes. NET trams link the centre, the university area and Clifton.
NCT student fares
2026/27
- Academic year pass
- £349
- App single
- £2.50
- App, 24 hours
- £4.70
Source: Nottingham City Transport: University Academic Year Pass and student fares. NET trams.
The same rules as the rest of the UK
Working while studying in Nottingham
An eligible Student visa holder on a full-time degree-level course can normally work up to 20 hours a week in term time, and full-time in the university's official vacations. Below-degree courses are often limited to 10 hours, and some give no work permission. Check the condition on your own eVisa and CAS.
20 hrs
Usual term-time limit
For eligible full-time study at degree level with a higher-education sponsor. Vacation means the official vacation for your course. Master's students usually have very little of it in the dissertation months.
£12.71
National Living Wage, 21+
From 1 April 2026. Ages 18–20: £10.85. Under 18 and apprentices: £8.00. Twenty hours at £12.71 is about £254 before tax and National Insurance. Real hours vary week to week.
No
Self-employment
Most app-based delivery and ride-hailing, including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Uber driving, is self-employed, so Student visa holders should not take it. Employers check a share code from the UKVI eVisa account. Apply for a National Insurance number after you arrive.
Common part-time jobs
Treat part-time work as extra support, not a funding plan. Jobs in Nottingham are competitive in the first months of each term, and the money you show for the visa must already be yours before you travel. Employer names are examples, not a job offer. Every role has to fit the work limit on your visa.
| Job area | Common roles | Useful job-ready training | Example employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafés and coffee shops | Barista, team member, counter staff | Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate (online, low cost); basic barista skills | Costa, Starbucks, Pret A Manger, Caffè Nero, Greggs |
| Restaurants and bars | Waiter, food runner, kitchen porter, bar staff | Level 2 Food Hygiene; allergen awareness; Challenge 25 training for serving alcohol | Nando's, Wagamama, pub and restaurant groups, independent restaurants |
| Fast food | Crew member, counter and kitchen staff | Food hygiene; till (POS) skills; working shifts and weekends | McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Burger King |
| Supermarkets and retail | Customer assistant, checkout, shelf filling, online-order picker | Challenge 25 age-check awareness; manual handling; customer service | Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Co-op, Primark, Boots; Victoria Centre and city-centre stores, including Boots |
| Hotels and hospitality | Housekeeping, reception support, food and beverage assistant | Customer service; food hygiene; basic IT for reception | Premier Inn, Travelodge, Hilton, Marriott and independent hotels; city-centre hotels |
| Events and venues | Event steward, catering assistant, ticketing, bar staff | Event safety briefing (given by employer); an SIA licence is needed only for security roles | Motorpoint Arena, Trent Bridge, City Ground, Royal Concert Hall |
| Warehouse and logistics | Picker/packer, warehouse operative (often seasonal, November–January) | Manual handling; safety footwear; usually hired through agencies | Amazon, DHL, Royal Mail seasonal roles, supermarket distribution centres; East Midlands hubs and airport logistics |
| Care and support work | Care assistant, support worker (must be an employee, not self-employed) | Care Certificate (usually provided by employer); enhanced DBS check | Care homes, home-care agencies, NHS bank roles |
| University jobs | Student ambassador, library assistant, open-day and events helper | No special training; apply early through the university job portal | University of Nottingham and NTU student job services |
| Office and customer service | Administration assistant, call-centre adviser, data entry | Excel and Word; typing speed; clear spoken English | Contact centres, banks' customer-service teams, recruitment agencies |
Cafés and coffee shops
- Common roles
- Barista, team member, counter staff
- Useful job-ready training
- Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate (online, low cost); basic barista skills
- Example employers
- Costa, Starbucks, Pret A Manger, Caffè Nero, Greggs
Restaurants and bars
- Common roles
- Waiter, food runner, kitchen porter, bar staff
- Useful job-ready training
- Level 2 Food Hygiene; allergen awareness; Challenge 25 training for serving alcohol
- Example employers
- Nando's, Wagamama, pub and restaurant groups, independent restaurants
Fast food
- Common roles
- Crew member, counter and kitchen staff
- Useful job-ready training
- Food hygiene; till (POS) skills; working shifts and weekends
- Example employers
- McDonald's, KFC, Subway, Burger King
Supermarkets and retail
- Common roles
- Customer assistant, checkout, shelf filling, online-order picker
- Useful job-ready training
- Challenge 25 age-check awareness; manual handling; customer service
- Example employers
- Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Co-op, Primark, Boots; Victoria Centre and city-centre stores, including Boots
Hotels and hospitality
- Common roles
- Housekeeping, reception support, food and beverage assistant
- Useful job-ready training
- Customer service; food hygiene; basic IT for reception
- Example employers
- Premier Inn, Travelodge, Hilton, Marriott and independent hotels; city-centre hotels
Events and venues
- Common roles
- Event steward, catering assistant, ticketing, bar staff
- Useful job-ready training
- Event safety briefing (given by employer); an SIA licence is needed only for security roles
- Example employers
- Motorpoint Arena, Trent Bridge, City Ground, Royal Concert Hall
Warehouse and logistics
- Common roles
- Picker/packer, warehouse operative (often seasonal, November–January)
- Useful job-ready training
- Manual handling; safety footwear; usually hired through agencies
- Example employers
- Amazon, DHL, Royal Mail seasonal roles, supermarket distribution centres; East Midlands hubs and airport logistics
Care and support work
- Common roles
- Care assistant, support worker (must be an employee, not self-employed)
- Useful job-ready training
- Care Certificate (usually provided by employer); enhanced DBS check
- Example employers
- Care homes, home-care agencies, NHS bank roles
University jobs
- Common roles
- Student ambassador, library assistant, open-day and events helper
- Useful job-ready training
- No special training; apply early through the university job portal
- Example employers
- University of Nottingham and NTU student job services
Office and customer service
- Common roles
- Administration assistant, call-centre adviser, data entry
- Useful job-ready training
- Excel and Word; typing speed; clear spoken English
- Example employers
- Contact centres, banks' customer-service teams, recruitment agencies
Source: GOV.UK Student visa work conditions. Low Pay Commission / GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage from 1 April 2026. Employer names are examples of who recruits, not a promise of a job.
2027 starts
When to apply, and when the money changes
You can apply for a Student visa up to 6 months before the course starts. A decision from outside the UK usually takes about 3 weeks. Nepali applicants need a tuberculosis test from an approved clinic in Nepal.
- 1
Main intake
Sep–Oct 2027
The widest choice of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Start 9–12 months ahead. UCAS closes in late January 2027 for most undergraduate courses, and in mid-October 2026 for medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, Oxford and Cambridge.
- 2
Second intake
Jan–Feb 2027
Many January master's courses at NTU, including finance, management, international business, business analytics, project management, digital marketing, cyber security, engineering management and health. Fewer at the University of Nottingham. Start 6–8 months ahead.
- 3
Selected starts
Apr–Jun 2027
Pathway, pre-master's, foundation and a small number of postgraduate courses. Confirm the exact date. Do not assume a spring start exists for your degree.
Leave time for the evidence
Allow time for the CAS, the 28-day bank-statement period, the TB test, biometrics in Kathmandu and booking accommodation.
The money normally has to be held for 28 consecutive days, and the statement must be dated within 31 days of the application. This is the immigration minimum, not a full personal budget. The visa application fee from outside the UK is £558, and the Immigration Health Surcharge for students is £776 per year of the visa.
Immigration rules can change during a degree. Treat these as current planning figures and re-check GOV.UK before you apply.
Maintenance outside London
Before 30 November 2026 the rate outside London is £1,171 a month, maximum £10,539. From 30 November 2026 it is £1,203 a month, maximum £10,827. £1,203 × 9 = £10,827, plus unpaid tuition on the CAS. Most 2027 entrants should plan with the new figure.
Graduate visa
The same rights in every UK city
After an eligible UK degree, a graduate can apply from inside the UK, without a job offer, and work at any skill level. The university must have reported completion. Applications on or before 31 December 2026 are 2 years for bachelor's and master's graduates. From 1 January 2027 those become 18 months. A PhD stays at 3 years.
Bachelor's degree
18 months
Master's degree
18 months
PhD
3 years
Nottingham's graduate market is strongest in business and financial services, data, health and life sciences, and engineering. Birmingham, Leicester, Derby and Sheffield are close enough to widen the search. The visa rules are the same as in every other UK city.
The 18-month figures are for applications on or after 1 January 2027. The Graduate visa fee is £937 and the Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per year. It cannot be extended. Staying longer usually means switching to another route, such as Skilled Worker, and meeting that route's job and salary rules.
Who it suits
A top-100 university without London rent
- University choice
- A top-100 Russell Group university, plus a large practical university with placements.
- Student city ranking
- #48 worldwide7th in the UK on QS Best Student Cities 2027.
- Job market
- MediumStrong in financial services, health, data and engineering. Smaller than London, Manchester or Birmingham.
- Living cost
- LowerAverage room about £584 a month, below most big UK cities.
- Transport
- Buses, trams, a £349 academic-year pass, and a free University of Nottingham hopper.
- Lifestyle
- Compact and student-centred, with a large and diverse student population.
Best suited for
Students who want a top-100 university or a strong practical university in an affordable, student-focused city. Pharmacy, medicine, life sciences, business, computing and engineering students. Students looking for a January master's, especially at NTU.
Main trade-offs
- A smaller graduate job market than London, Manchester or Birmingham.
- Several campuses. The wrong area can mean a long commute, especially to NTU Clifton or Brackenhurst.
- Fewer large corporate head offices than the biggest UK cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally yes. Its Q2 2026 average room rent of about £584 a month compares with £680 in Manchester, £730 in Bristol and £979 in inner London.
The University of Nottingham has the stronger global research profile (QS joint 97th). NTU is known for applied courses, placements and January starts. Compare the course, accreditation, fees, scholarships and campus.
For students who travel most days, yes. It covers unlimited NCT City Zone travel from September 2026 to July 2027. University of Nottingham students also have the free hopper between campuses.
Yes. An NTU City Campus student, an NTU Clifton student and a University Park student can have very different daily journeys.
- Booking accommodation before confirming which campus the course is taught on.
- Choosing only by overall ranking instead of course, placement and career fit.
- Relying on part-time work to cover essential costs.
Plan Nottingham with the campus, not the name.
Updated for 2027 planning. Information checked on 3 October 2026. Tuition fees, rents, transport fares, rankings and immigration rules change. Re-check the university, the transport operator and GOV.UK before applying or paying any money.
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